Online Casino Jackpots

Online casino jackpots are the lifeblood of the online gaming industry. Without the allure of huge payouts, there are numerous players who might elect to do something else with their spare time. But since some of the more impressive jackpots can turn customers into instant millionaires, I doubt the online casino business is going to slow down anytime soon.

If you’re fascinated by the idea of making a modest wager and receiving a big payout in return, I invite you to stick around and read my article about virtual casino jackpots. We’ll look at the difference between regular and progressive jackpots, as well as list some of the biggest Internet wins of all time.

Regular Jackpots

A regular jackpot is the top payout on a game, but it has a fixed amount. For example, getting five of the same symbol on a regular slot pays a jackpot worth a pre-set value. These are most commonly found on slots and video poker games, with a royal flush offering the jackpot on the latter.

Progressive Jackpots

Progressive jackpots aren’t easy to achieve, but they can change the life of a player within a matter of seconds. The payback percentage on these games tends to be lower, but their massive payouts ensure that a steady stream of customers will give them a try.

When money is wagered on this sort of game, a percentage of the bet is added to the jackpot. This amount continues to climb until someone wins it, at which point it resets to a base amount and begins to grow again.

Progressive jackpots are usually associated with slot machines, and they come in two types. The first is a standalone jackpot, which means the payout is limited to a single game. With wide-area progressives, the jackpot may be fed by numerous games at one or multiple casinos. Connected jackpots can easily grow into the millions, which only further fuels the interest of the betting public.

While slots and progressives go hand in hand, they can also be found on other types of games. Some brands of video poker offer a jackpot, and I’ve seen poker variations where the player can make an optional progressive wager before the cards are dealt.

Examples

If you’ve never experienced the miracle of progressives before, let’s look at the top 10 online jackpots that were available when this article was written. This should give you a decent idea of what can be expected from some of the leading casino software companies.

Monster Madness – TopGame – $2,736,870

Bingo Slot – TopGame – $2,341,261

Aztec’s Millions – RTG – $1,850,860

Jackpot Pinatas – RTG – $1,770,408

Stars and Stripes – TopGame – $1,209,801

Monster Millions – NuWorks – $1,018,840

Megasaur – RTG – $985,290

Greedy Goblins 10c – Betsoft/Bovada – $579,106

Greedy Goblins 2c – Betsoft/Bovada – $539,977

Greedy Goblins $1 – Betsoft/Bovada – $452,410

Top-10 Wins

If you’re still unconvinced about the greatness of progressive jackpots, take a look at the 10 biggest jackpot payouts in the history of online casinos. The amounts are staggering, and the lucky winners immediately had their lives changed by the experience.

Mega Fortune Mega – Won by a Finnish player at the Paf Casino in 2013 – $20,104,192.29

Mega Moolah Mega – Won by a UK player at Betway in 2015 – $18,686,318.18

Mega Fortune Mega – Won by a Norwegian player at Betsson Casino in 2011 – $13,207,657.34

Mega Moolah Mega – Won by a player (nationality and casino unknown) in 2016 – $10,423,223

Arabian Nights – Won by a Finnish player at Paf Casino in 2012 – $9,719,241.87

Mega Fortune Mega – Won by a Swedish player at Folkeautomaten in 2015 – $9,653,101.43

Hall of Gods Mega – Won by a Norwegian player at Betsson Casino in 2015 – $8,802,018.16

Hall of Gods Mega – Won by a Swedish player at Unibet Casino in 2012 – $8,636,674.93

Hall of Gods Mega – Won by a Swedish player at Betsson Casino in 2015 – $8,474,796.95

Hall of Gods Mega – Won by a Norwegian player at Betsson Casino in 2012 – $8,284,975.19

Software Providers

Not all gaming software providers are created equal when it comes to offering jackpots. This is especially true of progressive jackpots, and this section lists some of the leading designers and what you can expect to find in their suite of games.

Playtech – Their payouts aren’t as big as some competing brands, but their total of 40 progressives is easily the largest in the business.

Realtime Gaming (RTG) – While their overall selection of jackpots is relatively small, it’s not unheard of for payouts to exceed the $1 million mark.

NetEnt Entertainment – This designer has 16 jackpot games, with some including multi-level payouts.

Microgaming – When it comes to big jackpots, this company is tops. They have a total of 18 progressives mixed between slots and video poker machines.

Cryptologic – Their software includes 16 progressives, with some being shared by a dozen games. While they don’t offer record-breaking sums of money, their payout ratio is above average.

WagerWorks – This company only features a single progressive, but the jackpot is tied to three different machines.

Rival – All four of their progressives are slots, and they traditionally have some of the smallest payouts.

Gamesys – This software features six progressives, but each of them offers two jackpots (for a total of 12).